Apparatus for the drying of the hair



H. M. ARMISTEAD' y APPARATUS FOR THE DRYING OF THE HAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet} Filed April 30, v1958 INVENTOR MARM/STEAD ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1940.

H. M. ARMISTEAD APPARATUS FOR THE DRYING OF THE HAIR Filed April 30, 1938 FJ'EZ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INIENTOR. Hugs/2 r M A R M/S'TEA a By I A TTORNEY Patented Feb. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the drying of the hair and has for one of its objects the provision of such an apparatus as would be suitable for use in a beauty parlor.

It is a commonly known fact that in present day beauty parlor operation one of the most vexatious problems encountered is the drying of the hair following shampooing or permanent waving thereof. The methods and devices now in use necessitate subjecting the customer to extremely long periods of discomfort While the hair is being dried. It is not uncommon for the drying process following a shampoo to consume in excess of an hour, during which the customer must remain in one position and exposed to the particular drying means employed. Then, too, most of the prior art structures and methods utilize air streams of extremely high temperature to attain the desired objective, occasioning the use of such auxiliary equipment as ear protectors and the like to obviate burns. All of these deficiencies of the prior art result in too much of a hardship on the customer and are the cause of many complaints.

The present invention concerns itself with the provision of a simple apparatus for the hair drying step in beauty parlor operation which will overcome the objections heretofore pointed out. Additionally, the objects of the invention are sought to be attained through the provision of a relatively inexpensive method and means.

In general the present invention seeks to accomplish its purpose by the use of a dehumidified air stream which is directed upon the head of the customer to effect quick drying of the hair and a simplified means for providing such conditioned air.

Other objects will become more apparent as the specification proceeds and the novelty of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' In the drawings forming a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of an air dehumidifying device embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a hair drying unit embodying my invention, and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the subject matter of Figure 3.

In the prefered form of my invention illustrated I use a cartridge l0, containing an adsorbent material II, through which a stream of air is passed for dehydration and use in the hair drying process.

One adsorbent material suitable for the herein described uses is composed of aluminum oxide, in porous, amorphous form, with minor amounts of hydrated alumina and very small amounts of soda and oxides of iron, silicon and titanium, substantially all of the soda being combined with silica and alumina as an insoluble compound. This preparation is commercially available in granular form' and there are doubtless many other preparations having similar characteristics In which would be suitable.

It will be noted (Figures 1 and 2) that a plurality of these cartridges are employed in order that operation of the apparatus may be constant through reactivation of the adsorbent material 5 in several cartridges while one is in use for the purpose intended.

The cartridge l0 comprises an open-ended cylinder 12 havingfixed therein a material container I3 of wire mesh or other foraminous material, the latter being of substantially an hour-glass construction, in which the two cones would have equal capacity, the lower cone of the container i3 is provided with a concentrically arranged cone l4, likewise of wire mesh, which is joined in a materially tight connection to the bottom edge of the container l3, as at l5. An inwardly projecting lip l6, at the bottom of cylinder I2, serves to support the container l3 within the cartridge. As will be noted from Figure 1, due to the construction of the container l3, the material H when placed therein will fill the area between the lower half of container l3 and the concentric cone i4 and a portion of the upper half of container l3.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I show four of the cartridges I0 mounted on a turntable 20, on shaft 2|, within a cabinet 22. As stated, this construction permits continuous operation of the device, 1. e., while the activated material ll within one of the cartridges I0 is being utilized for its adsorbent properties, used cartridges may be reactivated. An annular shoulder 23 on cylinder 12 abuts the top of turntable 20 and supports the cartridge in the desired position.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, a cartridge I0 is shown in position between a blower 25, of conventional design, and a conduit 26 leading to the drying hoods 21. The blower 25, driven by a prime mover 28, such as a conventional electric .motor or like me'ans, has an intake 30 through the wall of the cabinet 22 which intake is provided with a suitable screen 3| to exclude foreign matter from the apparatus. The blower 25 has an upwardly extending neck portion 32, flared as at 33l for frictional engagement with the bottom "of cartridge III. It will be appreciated that the connectionbetween the flare 33 of the neck portion 32 and the bottom of the cartridge I should be' as air-tight as permissible since the material II oifers resistance to the air stream.

In practice it will be found that an air stream from the blower 25 suflicient for the air drying process will be suflicient to lift the material II within the container I3. To avoid any possibility of the material I I being forced or driven into the conduit 26 there is provided a materially tight screen top 35 for the container I3.

A unique arrangement is provided for the establishment of communication between cylinder I0 and conduit 26 aswill be seen from Figure 1. Conduit 26 terminates at and is secured to the top 31 of cabinet 22 by any conventional means such as rivets 38. The conduit is in registry with an aperture in said top of slightly smaller diameter than the conduit 26. An extension conduit pipe 40, one end of which is telescopically received by conduit 26 projects through the aperture in the cabinet top 31 and has a flared mouth 4| for engagement with the top of the cartridge I0. A washer 42 on the upper end of the extension conduit 40 serves to make the connection with the conduit 26 sufl'iciently air-tight and at the same time retains the said member 40 within conduit 26 by abutting the rim about the aperture in top 31. Extension member 40 is normally urged outwardly from conduit 26 and into the path of cartridges III by means of a circumferentially arranged coil spring 44 between top 31 and the flared mouth 4|. It will thus be seen that when turntable 20 is rotated and a cartridge I0 is swung between the extension 32 of blower 25 and extension member 40, the top thereof will be brought into engagement with the flanged mouth 4| of extension 40 and force the same upwardly against the urge of spring 44. This frictional engagement between the top of cartridge I0 and the flared mouth of extension 40 will be sufliciently air-tight, considering the pressures involved.

When the adsorbent material If within a given cartridge II) has reached the limits of its adsorbent properties, the turntable upon which it rests is turned counter-clockwise (looking at Figure 2) to move it from position A to position B and thereby bring a reactivated cartridge from D into position A. This movement of the cartridges is accomplished through the provision of a hand wheel 53 on top of the cabinet 31 suitably connected to shaft 2| bymeans of rod 5| pinned to the reduced end of the shaft 2|, as at 52. Figure 1 illustrates a bearing or spacing member 53 on rod 5| between hand wheel 50 and the cabinet top 31, to the latter of which it is affixed by conventional rivets. Hand wheel 50 carries a finder 55 downwardly bent to overlay an area of cabinet top 31 upon which any conventional scale or indicia may be disposed for the purpose of indicating the position of the respective cartridges I0. It will be apparent that the form of my invention illustrated might readily be equipped so that the shifting of the cartridges from operative to inoperative positions might be fully automatic and not dependent upon attention by the operator of the machine without departing from the spirit of this invention and as a matter of personal choice.

It will be noted (Figure 1) that turntable 20 is keyed to a reduced portion of shaft 2|, as at 60,

and that the said shaft is journaled in a sleeve 6|, the top of which provides a bearing surface for the hub of table 20. The bottom of the sleeve 6| is flared outwardly into a skirt 62 which is bolted, as at 63, to a support 64 secured to the base of the cabinet 22, as at 65. Additionally, sleeve 6| has a pair of integral shoulders 66 to which the supporting brackets 61, for blowers 28 and 16, are bolted.

The reactivation of the adsorbent material II, within the cartridges I 0, is accomplished through the provision of the following means: A suitable electrical heating unit 10 is disposed within the foraminous container I3, being suspended between the insulating button 1I, of mica or some other material having like properties, securd to the top 35, and like insulating buttons 12 at the bottom of container I3. The heating element 10 is connected with contact button 13 projected through the wall of the cartridge I0 (see Figure 1). When a cartridge I0 is turned into position C (Figure 2) the contact button 13 is brought into frictional engagement with the contact bars 14 secured to the wall of the cabinet 22 and heating element 10 is energized by current from leads 15.

The function of the electrical heating unit 10 within the containers I3 is to remove collected moisture from the adsorbent material II during the regenerating cycle. It will be noted from Figure 1 that the heating units are embedded in the adsorbent material I I. The heat therefrom vaporizes the moisture collected by the adsorbent material II when cartridge I0 was in position A (Figure 2) and these vapors are drawn off by a suction-fan 16, having a conventional prime mover such as-an electrical motor 11, and

are exhausted through the aperture 18 in the wall of the cabinet 22 to the atmosphere.

Operation It will be understood from the foregoing description that the operation of the subject matter of my invention is as follows: A cartridge I0 containing an activated charge of adsorbent m terial II is turned into position A (see Figure 2). The blower 25 is started and draws air through the screened aperture 30 in the wall of cabinet 22 driving the same to cartridge I0.

The air entering cartridge I0 passesthrough the adsorbent material II substantially as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1. Air pressure suiflcient for the hair drying process will lift some of the material II upwardlyagainst the top 35 of container I3 thus providing a final screen through which the air must pass in this dehydrating step. The conditioned air leaving cartridge I0 passes through the extension conduit 40 and conduit 26 to one or more drying hoods, such as those illustrated at 21, in Figure 3. A series of dampers 80 in conduit 26, adjacent the con nected drying hoods 21, permit regulation of the flow of the conditioned air. Similarly, dampers 8|, in connmting conduits 82, provide control means for the flow of air from each of the drying hoods 21.

When the adsorbent material within a cylinder I0 has reached the saturation point hand wheel 50 is turned to move it out of position A for substitution of a regenerated cartridge. Theused cartridges progress to position C for removal of moisture by heating element 10 and fan 16, and then to the cooling position D in readiness for further use.

While in the device illustrated in the drawings tridge I0 of adsorbent material H to drying hood 21. Such a structure would insure against the possibility of pulverizing the adsorbent material II which is likely to occur where the same is repeatedly agitated. It is obvious that if air were drawn downwardly through the material II in cartridge ID by a fan such as 16 and from thence directed to the drying hoods 21, the material ll would remain constant in semi-packed condition.

This proposal is deemed well within the spirit of the invention as shown and described herein since the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings reveals a simple means of reversing the direction of the air stream through material ll 2 in cartridge l0, comprising fan 16 utilized in reperience has dictated the necessity of raising the temperature of the air stream to substantially body temperature for the comfort of the persons being treated. This can be very easily arranged by providing a heating coil in conduit 26 or the hood 21, having temperature control means. On the other hand it may be as acceptable to simply place an electric light globe somewhere in the air stream to raise the temperature to a desired level.

It will be appreciated'from the foregoing that my apparatus is subject to many changes and modifications, to meet various conditions and indlvldual preferences, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, I do not limit myself to that which is shown and described only, but desire protection according to the scope or the appended claims. g

The invention claimed is:

1. In a hair drying apparatus the combination of a drying hood, a conduit therefor, blower means, cartridges containing a moisture absorbent material adapted to be moved into position between said'conduit and said. blower means, rotatable means for effecting said movement of said cartridges, electrical heating elements for said adsorbent material within said cartridges, means for energizing said heating elements when said cartridges are moved into inoperative position, and means for drawing off the vapors created by the heating of said adsorbent material.

2. In a hair drying apparatus the combination of a drying hood, a cabinet, a conduit for said drying hood extending into said cabinet, blower means within the cabinet, a plurality of cartridges containing a moisture adsorbent material adapted to be moved into position between said conduit and said blower means, rotatable means for effecting said movement of said cartridges, means on said cabinet for indicating the relative positions of said cartridges, electrical heating elements for said adsorbent material within said cartridges, means for energizing said heating elements when said cartridges are moved into inoperative position, and means for drawing oil. the

. vapors created by the heating of said adsorbent material.

3. In a hair drying apparatus the combination of a drying hood,a cabinet, a conduit for said drying hood extending into said cabinet, blower means within the cabinet, aplurality of cartridges containing a moisture adsorbent material, rotary supporting means for said cartridges, means for selectively moving said cartridges into position between said conduit and said blower means, each of said cartridges having a self-contained electrical heating element, and means for energizing said heating elements when said cartridges are moved into inoperative positions.

4. In a hair drying apparatus the combination of a drying hood, a cabinet, a conduit for said drying hood extending into said cabinet, blower means within the cabinet, a plurality of cartridges containing a moisture adsorbent material, rotary supportingmeans for said cartridges, means for selectively, moving said cartridges into position between said conduit and said blower means, each of said cartridges having a self-contained electrical heating element, each of said heating elements having a pair of contact points projecting through the wall of said cartridges, and a pair of contact bar's fixedly connected to a wall of said cabinet and adapted to engage the con- 

